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You should tell that to the 10's of thousands of Europeans (many from national healthcare states) who are in Thailand and Vietnam this very minute for HC (and have been going to Asia for annual 'tune-ups' for 50+ yrs)
Medical tourism is very professionally done.
It is USA care you need to worry about and why many from foreign countries are not allowed by Dr or HC provider to visit USA. (many cannot come to USA due to pre-existing conditions / fragile health, in case they would need medical care). Friends from Scotland have been petitioning to come to USA during 20 yrs remission from Cancer, and are not permitted by their Insurance / Dr.
Yep, friends had to cancel a cruise from Europe to New York last year as they could not get insurance. Going this year on a cruise which avoids the American part. They are very sad as Hawaii has always been one of their favourite places in the world and they can no longer go there for speacial occasions.
We always get out vaccinations when passing through Thailand, it's very professional and they don't have the travel clinic ripoff prices like in USA. We also did our yellow fever at the airport in Lima, right next to the Dunkin Donuts took 5 minutes and now have the official card. You can save hundreds of dollars by not doing in USA.
Last vaccination in Thailand we did on the way out of the country a month ago, Typhoid was due I think it cost about $10 for the vax and $2 service fee for the lady who actually sticks you.
Yep, friends had to cancel a cruise from Europe to New York last year as they could not get insurance. Going this year on a cruise which avoids the American part. They are very sad as Hawaii has always been one of their favourite places in the world and they can no longer go there for speacial occasions.
People want to come to America to get care b/c we have high standards. Medical tourism is popular because it is cheap. Many Americans who are middle-class / well-off and get insurance through their jobs are not taking advantage of some second or third world hospitals. Some people do, sure. I think it is a small %. I know ONE person who does … she got braces done in Mexico b/c she doesn't have a job here in the states. It was decently done but she would have much preferred getting it done here if she could.
Everyone is different. I would never go anywhere that is not 1st world for medical care. It's personal preference I guess.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by Jdawg8181
People want to come to America to get care b/c we have high standards. ...
Everyone is different. I would never go anywhere that is not 1st world for medical care. It's personal preference I guess.
High standards of medical care in USA? Have you attended someone under USA care for many years? There are a lot of mistakes / poor service / poorly trained medical professionals in USA.
Have you ever had international medical care? Many of us have been traveling internationally for 50 yrs, so it has been regular experience for us, and those we meet doing the same (many).
This is the travel forum, and the OP and millions of others can do very well getting international care. There is nothing 2nd or 3rd world about health care in most other countries, especially for those WW travelers who will be knowledgeable where to go for care.
People want to come to America to get care b/c we have high standards. Medical tourism is popular because it is cheap. Many Americans who are middle-class / well-off and get insurance through their jobs are not taking advantage of some second or third world hospitals. Some people do, sure. I think it is a small %. I know ONE person who does … she got braces done in Mexico b/c she doesn't have a job here in the states. It was decently done but she would have much preferred getting it done here if she could.
Everyone is different. I would never go anywhere that is not 1st world for medical care. It's personal preference I guess.
You are wrong. I would have thought you would research before posting incorrectly again. Yes, there is certainly a large % of medical tourism that is driven by cheap services, but if you compare apples-to-apples the private hospitals in Bangkok, that are there to specifically serve "wealthy" people, they are far and away better than the average hospital in the US, and it just happens to be a bit cheaper. This might be true in a few other places too, but I can only speak for Bangkok.
My wife and I are both 36. We have a 3 yr old daughter and a 3 month old boy. We are planning an exit from suburban Austin to travel the world with the following plan.
We are selling our primary residence (hopefully) which should allow us to pay off all of the remaining debt on our rental properties so we would have 4 paid for, cash flowing properties with combined gross rents of $6425/month and a net income of around $4000-4500/month. In addition we will have liquid assets that will pay another $500/month in dividend cash flow and I am a proprietary day trader who is able to work basically anywhere I have a quality internet connection.
I’m certain I could stay in suburbia, leverage into some NNN commercial properties, focus on my work, and raise my kids in a standard American lifestyle, but we are choosing a different path that will hopefully take us to the far corners of this planet and enrich us more than our current living situation. For once I am not going to allow the dollar bill to guide my decisions.
1: Do you think we’re crazy for wishing to travel this extensively with such young children?
2: Do you think we are cutting it too tight financially? We plan to live below our means and travel slowly spending at least a month each in low cost of living countries (Central America, Asia, etc)
3: Any input you may have positive or negative is welcomed. I’m confident, but not over-confident about this type of existence. I’m sure it will be tough but rewarding.
It feels like somewhat of a FIRE plan.
Thank you in advance.
I think you should wait until your kids are older.
What are your plans for educating your kids when they get older? Home school?
Have you talked to a doctor and examined the CDC website for immunization for infectious disease that will be encountered on your trips?
Do you have a plan to pay for medical care if you or a child needs it on one of your trips?
Have you calculated the expenses of traveling where you want to go?
Maybe you have done all this. However, these are the kinds of questions someone who wants to do what you say you do need to think through really carefully.
You are wrong. I would have thought you would research before posting incorrectly again. Yes, there is certainly a large % of medical tourism that is driven by cheap services, but if you compare apples-to-apples the private hospitals in Bangkok, that are there to specifically serve "wealthy" people, they are far and away better than the average hospital in the US, and it just happens to be a bit cheaper. This might be true in a few other places too, but I can only speak for Bangkok.
Most people aren't wealthy and so wouldn't they resort to the public hospitals then? What are you considering wealthy?
I'm wealthy by Thai standards. I'm not wealthy by American standards .. who are the private hospitals catering to?
My comment about medical lacking was a general statement referring to the public system of care. Is that not correct that their public hospitals are not good?
I'm speaking about SEA in general. Certainly some countries are better than others.
I'm wealthy by Thai standards. I'm not wealthy by American standards .. who are the private hospitals catering to?
My comment about medical lacking was a general statement referring to the public system of care. Is that not correct that their public hospitals are not good?
.
Exactly. Isn't that what you were talking about? Medical care for an American family traveling in Thailand? lol not sure why we have this miscommunication.
An American family will usually find better, more comfortable and efficient care for a lower cost at a Bangkok private hospital than at their local hospital back home. Supposedly this is true in parts of Vietnam and Malaysia too, but I don't know. This is a pretty good resource for research. https://patientsbeyondborders.com
This is a link to a private business. It's advertisement for its services.
The hospitals on our list are all world leaders in health care, but these are the very best—the top 10, according to Newsweek and Statista’s panel of doctors, medical professionals and administrators across four continents. A list of the top 1,000 hospitals worldwide is available online.
1. Minnesota–based Mayo Clinic has provided patients with comprehensive medical care for over 150 years. Now with centers in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, as well as over 19 hospitals in five states, its health system serves more than 1.3 million people annually. But it’s the nonprofit’s peerless educational arm, including the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and 57 research centers, that sets it apart, providing vital innovation for the entire medical community (more than 7,200 peer-reviewed publications to date). That, along with superb patient support, earns the Mayo Clinic Newsweek’s top spot for 2018–19. ► MayoClinic.org
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3. Singapore General Hospital The oldest hospital in Singapore, founded in 1821, has grown from a British imperial troop cantonment near the banks of the Singapore River into the island nation’s largest health system, serving more than 1 million patients annually. As a tertiary referral hospital with ancillary on-campus specialist centers, the SGH provides affordable care for patients, leads patient-driven clinical research and provides undergraduate to postgraduate educational training for both students and medical professionals. It was the first hospital in Asia to achieve the Magnet designation in 2010 for nursing excellence, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. ► www.SGH.com.sg
4. Johns Hopkins Hospital The Baltimore-based institution—founded in the late 1800s by the banker, philanthropist and abolitionist it is named for—houses Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, the second-highest-rated medical school in America (after Harvard Medical School), offering among the most advanced clinical research in the world. The hospital’s health system—including six academic and commercial hospitals, four health care and surgery centers and over 40 patient care locations—receives up to 3 million patients annually. A leader in neurosurgery and child psychiatry, the Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic was also the first in the United States to complete male-to-female reassignment surgery. ► HopkinsMedicine.org
6. Massachusetts General Hospital
7. Toronto General Hospital
8. University of Tokyo Hospital
9. Lausanne University Hospital
10. Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer
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